BC Ferries quietly removes 'less reliable WiFi' from several ships

Aug 23 2021, 7:09 pm

BC Ferries made a big splash about introducing WiFi at over a dozen ferry terminals, but they weren’t quite as loud about the fact that WiFi is actually being removed from several of their routes.

The routes that will no longer have less reliable WiFi include Vancouver to Victoria, Vancouver to Nanaimo, and Vancouver to the Sunshine Coast.

The change is attributed to the results of extensive research and analysis done on various technology solutions.

Their website has the news dated all the way back to July 5, but the info was updated a week ago.

A statement from the BC Ferries website reads, “it is not possible to improve the WiFi service on our ferries to the level expected by users, and we continually receive complaints about the quality and reliability of the service.”

“We understand this is a change for customers. Many of our routes have cellular phone coverage, enabling travellers to use their data plans to access digital services.”

They point out that the number of customers accessing the ship-based WiFi service has increased substantially since then. This is one of the key reasons that the quality of the service has diminished. Domestic and international service providers couldn’t find a solution to improve the WiFi service.

Ship-based WiFi was introduced all the way back in 2010.

Radio devices can improve the service, but BC Ferries states that they come at a high cost, which would be passed on to the customer.

900 users access their WiFi functionality daily, up from only about 40-50 a day when they first introduced the service.

WiFi service will continue to be offered at several terminals.

Daily Hive has reached out to BC Ferries for additional info.

Amir AliAmir Ali

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